Sam Lee whinges about Queensland ammunition laws

“QUEENSLAND police have warned the State Government that imposing limits on ammunition sales could lead to “negative publicity” – a claim that has frustrated anti-gun advocates, who say police have allowed economics to drive gun-control policy.

The State Government is yet to introduce limits on the sale of ammunition, despite agreeing to do so in the latest National Firearms Agreement signed with the other states and territories in February last year. The measures would mean ammunition could only be sold to a person in accordance with the guns they are licensed to carry, and limits would be imposed on the amount they could buy in a given period.

But in a ministerial briefing written towards the end of last year, police warned that such a move could lead to negative publicity. “Additionally, due to the tyranny of distance, economic circumstances and weather extremes in outback Queensland, a primary producer or feral-animal controller may only make a trip to buy ammunition once or twice a year,” an assistant commissioner wrote. “Imposing a limit on the amount of ammunition that does not take into account these contingencies could result in negative publicity.”

The assistant commissioner also suggested there was no evidence that the limits would enhance public safety or reduce criminal activity. The briefing was released under Right to Information laws, and a Queensland police spokesman confirmed it was sent to the relevant minister.

But Samantha Lee, who chairs Gun Control Australia, said it was a “sad state of affairs” that the assistant commissioner was allowing inconvenience and economics to drive gun regulation. “The regulation of ammunition has been a gaping hole in Australia’s gun laws for many years now,” she said. “Last year, Gun Control Australia (commissioned) an independent report into the state of Australian gun laws. “The report found that our gun laws are in big trouble of ongoing erosion, (with Queensland) helping to lead the way.”

Police Minister Mark Ryan said there had always been “historic variations” to the National Firearms Agreement among the states and territories.“Buying ammunition is not like buying milk at the corner store,” he said. “It is strictly regulated by a robust system, and the Department of Natural Resources and Mines and QPS are able to track all sales and buyers. “As QPS has advised, the Firearms and Weapons Policy Working Group is still considering ammunition regulation, and we look forward to the outcome.”

You can read the memos in question here but here’s a brief snapshot of the gist:

For once, some common sense from QPOL. Now, if only they would apply the same to farmers and Category H licences.

The National Firearms Agreement is a non-legally binding agreement and if Sam was to be truly honest (don’t hold your breath) you will infamously recount how Queensland was financially blackmailed by John Howard into accepting the NFA, by withholding federal funding until they did.

Ammunition limits are pointless bureaucracy and authoritarianism and are just incremental civilian disarmament. The infamous ammo bill in NSW doesn’t work and the Nationals have been forced to water it (slightly) down – it will not work anywhere else.

And while Sam sits in her air conditioned Legal Aid office in Sydney playing keyboard authoritarian, she’s prepared to shill for ammunition limits and make loads of rural Queenslanders and farmers drive thousands of kilometres to insure their livelihood.

Pure genius. Look forward to the explanations given by the geniuses at Queensland Labor when the cost of food goes even higher and the pest problem gets worse.

But is this really to be unexpected from Gun Control Australia – where anything more than 2 ammunitions is considered unacceptable.

3 Comments

Ammo limits are not just pointless, expensive bureaucracy, they are a major security risk – they would require far more transfers of information (or the holding of a register of owned firearms at your local gunshop) and every transfer of data entails a potential compromise of that data.
Dumb on every level and dangerous on several – the only point to this is to make it more expensive and more inconvenient to own a firearm, even though that will reduce the security of firearms and thus the safety of the general public.

Is it possible for FOU to put out a Press Release detailing the lack of any credibility, membership or legislative support that GCA has? It is time for a robust backlash against the constant lies and the constant harassment of law abiding people.

This article is rather interesting in the way it gives the impression that politicians are now a bit weary of going too much further with further restrictions.
Maybe there’s reason for hope.
A bit OT, but who saw A Current Affair last night with the crime issues in Cranbourne, outside of Melbourne?
I got the impression the makers of the show
decided to let the facts speak for themselves and only made token anti self-defence noises.
One guy showed his compound bow. To me it was something of an advertisement for compound bows. The power with which it shot through the target was quite impressive. Bows are the last projectile-firing weapon you can buy OTC and compound bows are powerful and relatively easy to use.
I recommend buying one in case the police or whoever make it difficult or impossible to do so in future.
I wouldn’t put it past them.
A compound bow is infinitely better then nothing to fire a projectile at all and is as powerful as a lot of firearms that are allowed.
The guy “Joe” was also filmed loading an arrow into an airbow. This surprised me, since Qld is the only part of the country you can just walk in and buy one Everywhere else it’s a Cat A firearm.
But good on him anyway.

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Firearm Owners United

Firearm Owners United was founded in response to the many hysterical voices crying out for further gun control in this country.
We already go through so many hoops to get our firearms as it is. We do not need more hoops. We don’t need a mother/father figure deciding what’s the best for us.
We are Law Abiding Firearm Owners, and we are sick of being treated like second-class citizens.